Archive | Namibia

SIAPS provided technical assistance to facilitate the expedited assessment and registration of new and existing ARV formulations to support the implementation of the revised Namibian ART guidelines (dated January 2014). The technical assistance focused on improving the efficiency of the regulatory system so that the recommended new first-line fixed-dose combination ARVs that contain tenofovir and emtricitabine for adults; optimized ARV formulations for pediatric use; and other medicines for HIV and AIDS; TB; maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH); and other public health diseases are assessed and considered for registration and made available for public procurement in a timely manner to benefit patients undergoing ART.

In Namibia, USAID has been providing funding for technical assistance in the areas of pharmaceutical management and systems strengthening since 2003. During this period, the Rational Pharmaceutical Management Plus (RPM Plus) and Strengthening Pharmaceutical Systems (SPS) programs were implemented. RPM Plus supported interventions that largely focused on strengthening systems for the antiretroviral therapy (ART) and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV programs. SPS focused on strengthening systems based on World Health Organization (WHO) building blocks, increasing the number of pharmaceutical personnel available for service delivery, strengthening policy coordination, and improving the regulatory functions of the NMRC. SIAPS focuses on further strengthening of regulatory and management systems in the pharmaceutical sector under the governance and health systems strategic area to support HIV and AIDS and other public health services.

The SIAPS team in Namibia joined other PEPFAR-implementing partners for the orientation of USAID’s newly appointed Director for Southern Africa, Mr. John Groarke. On September 27-28, 2017, Mr. Groake visited health facilities in the Omusati and Oshana regions in the North Central part of Namibia where he received updates on the progress of the community-based […]

SIAPS Namibia staff helped the Pharmaceutical Services Division of the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) of Namibia to revise the National Medicines Policy (NMP). The NMP, launched in 1998 and revised in 2012, provides guidelines and development objectives for the country’s pharmaceutical sectors.[1] It provides the framework within which pharmaceutical sector priorities are […]

The UNAIDS Situation Room is an innovative web-based platform that enables managers at all levels of the health system in Namibia to have access to HIV-related data in an easy and interactive manner. This tool uses automated, frequently updated data and data visualisation tools that are mobile and accessible at any time to help managers […]

SIAPS Namibia applied the capacity building approach to support the Ministry of Health and Social Services to enhance the capacity of two local training institutions—UNAM-SoP and the NHTC—to train pharmacists and PAs, respectively. With SIAPS technical assistance for defining a career path for PAs, UNAM-SoP started training pharmacy technicians, a new cadre in Namibia. SIAPS also continued its efforts to enhance the capacity of individuals through pre- and in-service training to ensure that health workers have adequate skills to administer quality pharmaceutical services. The capacity building interventions were done through training workshops and on-the-job technical assistance provided during support supervisory visits (SSVs) and remotely.

The SIAPS Namibia Project Director, Dr. Evans Sagwa, has advocated for adoption of strategies to ensure drug safety in TB and HIV treatment programs in the country. He made this call while delivering a public lecture on Friday, September 22, 2017, entitled “Strategies for optimizing patient safety in HIV and TB treatment programs in Namibia,” […]

In Namibia, a preliminary review of EDT records suggests that children form a small proportion of the patients accessing ART in any given setting, nationally composing 8% of the patients on ART in the MoHSS facilities. Over the years, managing children has been complicated with formulations that have not been friendly for children, complicated regimens, and occasional stock-outs of pediatric ARVs. These challenges may increase the number of children that might receive suboptimal care, including delayed or no interventions in face of poor adherence, ultimately leading to suboptimal response to treatment. This can then increase the risk of HIV drug resistance and leads to short survival of HIV-infected children. Findings from this assessment will provide much needed evidence on trends in pediatric HIV treatment uptake, levels of adherence, and retention among those on treatment. Ultimately, the evidence generated will support MoHSS policy makers and leaders in modifying and strengthening interventions aimed at enhancing treatment uptake, adherence, retention, and viral load suppression among HIV-infected children in Namibia.

Namibia had a prevalence of HIV infection of 17.2% in 2016. That rate of infection, coupled with the vastness of the country and a shortage of qualified pharmaceutical personnel, resulted in a critical need to strengthen health systems. Below are some highlights of SIAPS’ ongoing work in the country. Ensuring access to safe and quality […]

A Q&A with Greatjoy Mazibuko, SIAPS Senior Technical Manager in Namibia You’re working in Namibia, which has one of the highest prevalence rates of HIV in the world. How does this affect life in the country? The prevalence of HIV infection stood at 17.2% in 2016, which is relatively high for sub-Saharan Africa, but it’s […]